The Quickest Construction Ever?

The plans (and renderings) for the Texas Rangers' new billion dollar stadium and entertainment complex are ultra-ambitious.

Wednesday was a big day for the city of Arlington as city leaders and residents celebrated the groundbreaking of Texas Live!, a massive new restaurant, hotel and entertainment district located across from Globe Life Park, being developed by the Texas Rangers and Cordish Companies.

Tom Grieve, a fixture in baseball for the last 50 years and Texas Rangers icon, was master of ceremonies for the groundbreaking.

“Today marks an exciting milestone as we gather to celebrate the groundbreaking of Texas Live!, the $250 million world-class dining, entertainment, and hospitality destination,” Grieve said.

“When we moved into Arlington Stadium… it was essentially a minor league ballpark that had been fitted to suit a major league team. Although it wasn’t in a world-class, major league facility, there wasn’t a single player who wasn’t proud to play in that ballpark and be part of the Texas Rangers.”

Now, Rangers and their fans can look forward to an ultra-modern, one billion dollar stadium — not to mention the massive entertainment complex around it. Never mind that the Major League Baseball team’s current stadium, Globe Life, is only 22 years old. Plans for the new district include restaurants and bars, including Lockhart Smokehouse and Revolver Brewing, a 35,000-square-foot convention center, and a 300-room hotel. The entire complex will measure in at 200,000 square feet — and the stadium will feature the retractable roof the Rangers now believe they need for the punishing Texas summers.

Arlington Mayor Jeff Williams also attended, celebrating this monumental day for “the American Dream city,” and the continued future of the Texas Rangers in Arlington. The hope is for the new entertainment complex to be complete in time for the Ranger’s 2018 season, an ultra-ambitious plan considering construction has only just now started in earnest. The new stadium itself is set to open for the 2020 season.

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With attractions such as AT&T Stadium (otherwise known as Jerry World), the Rangers current ballpark and the Six Flags amusement park, Arlington already draws 14 million tourists a year. The new entertainment complex is projected to draw an additional three million visitors a year.